The present invention relates to a device for the automatic reading of bar-codes applied on articles, of the type comprising: a sliding plane whereon the articles, each provided with at least a bar-code applied on at least one if its sides, are advanced in sequence; and at least a read-out station wherein at least a laser beam read head is arranged to read the bar-code applied on the articles travelling on the sliding plane.
Conventional packaging of many products are is provided with the so-called "bar-codes" which allow the identification and/or the classification of the product by means of electronic equipment. These bar-codes are essentially formed by a series of parallel strips of different widths which, according to their consecutively arranged sequence, carry particular coded information which can be interpreted by special read units associated with the above-mentioned electronic equipment.
At the present time, the reading of bar-codes can be performed by means of the so-called "light pens", i.e. by photoelectric cell read units which are manually run over a bar-code. It is clear that this reading method requires the use of manpower which is not a negligible problem.
In order to eliminate this problem, automatic reading systems have been realized wherein the products are advanced, singly and in sequence, on a sliding plane, downstream to an area where a readout station is located. In the readout station one or more laser beam read heads are provided. Alternatively one or more telecameras can be effective to transmit data detected from reading the bar codes to the aforesaid electronic equipment.
Normally, to assure that bar-codes are read irrespective of their orientation at the readout station, a plurality of read heads orientated according to different directions are provided. In this way, there is assured that at least one of the beams emitted by the read heads intersects the bar-code along its whole length and transversally with respect to the strips thereof, in order to detect all the information contained therein.
However, it is to be noted that for a reliable operation of the reading system it is necessary that the dimensions of bar-codes do not decrease below certain values.
This necessity gives rise to a remarkable inconvenience, if in case the bar-codes are to be applied on article packagings of limited sizes and/or contain a considerable amount of informations as, for instance, in the pharmaceutical sector.
In the above instances, the bar-code must have a very accurate orientation with respect to the beam emitted by the read head to be read correctly. Thus, the automated read-out systems, as hereinbefore described, cannot perform effectively their functions.
Hence, it follows that for correctly reading a bar-code of small size and/or containing a considerable amount of information, it is necessary to manually use light pens.